


Breaking Binds

by spankingfemme



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Anal, Blackbelief, Bondage, Captivity, M/M, Non-Consensual Voyeurism, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slavery, Stockholm Syndrome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-06-07 13:02:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6805753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spankingfemme/pseuds/spankingfemme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jamie has used magical bounds to capture Pitch and has kept Pitch for far too long to be healthy for either of them. What will happen when the guardians find out what their once last light has done?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mine

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Pairing Drabbles](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3627450) by [inK_AddicTion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inK_AddicTion/pseuds/inK_AddicTion). 



> For this fic, please read this oneshot first to understand how Jamie captured Pitch and the origin of the story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/3627450/chapters/8485531 
> 
> Otherwise consider this an in medias res fic that you'll not fully understand the beginnings of. 
> 
> This fic is inspired by the lovely inK_AddicTion's oneshot where Jamie Bennett finds a way to ensnare Pitch as his captive when Pitch comes back for revenge.

WARNINGS!!! Okay, this fic is a very DARK fic, it deals in themes of (Slavery, Captivity, Anal sex, Non-Consensual Voyeurism, Rape/Non-con Elements, Bondage, and Stockholm Syndrome) I’m sure there will likely be more warnings to add as I write this. Either way, it’s not a pretty fic, it’s going to make you cry fic! Creeper Jamie! Triggers!!! You have been warned!

 

Chapter One

Mine

Pitch took in long drawn out breaths reflexively pulling against the seemingly so fragile looking magical bonds that held him prisoner. The reflective surface of the metallic bright silver twinkled fragments of sunlight from the window that pounded its infernal rays down upon him keeping him weak and weaker still as the time passed and he had no reprieve but to endure.

How long had he been here strapped to this mattress? The boy Jamie had grown from a boy into a young man about to start college. So almost a decade? More than a decade? Pitch had stopped trying to count the days any longer as it seemed so meaningless.

He had been pinned before, frozen in stasis to the world around him with a spear of light embedded in his heart. But, he had been immobile in both mind and body then as if caught in a state of dreaming. A timeless nothing of darkness and nightmares to surround him replaying the downfall of the Golden Age. Sometimes he felt triumphant in these visions taking all the pent up rage roiling through him to spit back at his oppressors. His defiance and pull to power magnificent to behold. In other visions these vary acts filled his heart with a ringing agony and despair to have seen every star dimmed by his hand leaving a dried field of dotted husks to float in the night sky. His humanity reared its head here and there in these particular moments, but for the most part, it had been shoved down deep into the murky undergrowth of a forgotten time, a forgotten person squelched in sin and festering decay. He was the Nightmare Lord; he gave nightmares, now his sole existence was to live one.

The bed groaned a complaint as Pitch shifted slightly. The chains held him spread eagle tied to each bed post. He was capable of small movements though as there was just enough slack in the chain for Pitch to turn on his side, which he did in the midafternoon hours when the sun shone in at its most merciless. He was thankful for the soft breezes that would occasionally billow through the open window sending the light kiss of the wind to caress his heated naked flesh save for the black silken boxers Jamie had seen fit to dress him in once his robes had all but disintegrated. They were made of the essence of shadows, and over prolonged exposure to the sun had turned brittle cracking like dirt in a desert heat and eventually flaking away like ash in a fire.

Jamie was a curious boy, and through the years had grown bolder and less wary of Pitch. His lack of fear of him was just another poke at the worn away nightmare lord’s pride. The first few years held bitter resentment from both sides as Jamie had captured Pitch as a means to keep his family from being broken apart by the way too successful attempts of Pitch’s machinations. Pitch had meant to toxify his parent’s relationship through masterfully wreaking hellish nightmares on them every night creating misery and discord in Jamie’s waking life. It had been working to, but Jamie was resourceful even without the help of the guardians, he’d found a way to nullify Pitch.

Fascination blossomed in the last light as animosity was replaced by curiosity and an intemperance of supremacy over the nightmare lord. Pitch belonged to Jamie now, he was his undisclosed treasure hidden where no one else could find him. Like most well-guarded treasures, Jamie had grown to feel quite possessive of Pitch, and this feeling was not lost on Pitch who secretly thrummed pleasure to feel so wanted by another.

Although such adoration came with the price of his freedom. This was okay though because Jamie had reassured him that it had to be this way, Pitch was a monster, and Jamie was keeping the world safe from the likes of his twisted scheming and wicked ways. How could Pitch not agree that this was what he deserved? A decade’s worth of berating and convincing alongside tender affectionate acts so simple as to admiringly run soft fingertips gently down the base of Pitch’s spine or a tenderly placed kiss on a pallid tensed shoulder left Pitch to believe that this in fact must be where he belonged.

The young man had grown, sprouting to a stature of six foot one, he was still a couple inches shorter than Pitch, but his lean mass made up where his height was lacking. Jamie had taken to wrestling around the age of fourteen, and every year since the boy startlingly became more of a man that reminded Pitch of a bull dog when the teen would sidle up close to him. His tanned features were a stark difference to the pale smooth skin the nightmare lord exhibited. Taut bulging biceps next to lean sinewy arms half the size.

The walls were covered in faded Polaroid pictures, the older camera a whimsical find Jamie had found at a pawn shop some years back. The boy was always snapping pictures of Pitch, and for the longest time, it had unnerved him. But, it was a form of attention, and Pitch having been so starved for attention came to take this action to be somewhat endearing even if over the past couple years the pictures were of more than mere expressions or still life styled representations of the life Pitch now existed in.

Those were innocent, and the light of wonder had shown in the Bennett boy’s eyes when he’d taken a picture of Pitch and then flipped through his phone to see what he’d captured. These days, the wonder had been twisted into something much more perverse and demanding. It started innocently enough with the teen wanting to take pictures of him without any clothing. Jamie wanted to see all of Pitch as he truly was, he had said. His body was a marvel, and the clothing was an unnecessary barrier that was an injustice to the innate beauty the dark man held.

Pitch didn’t have the same level of shame the modern world held over the naked body, and found nothing inherently wrong in this request divesting himself of the article easily. But, as time went on, and the teen grew older and more aware both physically and mentally, he wanted much less than artistic pictures of nudity. They became demoralizing in nature leaving Pitch to feel like an object as Jamie commanded that he show himself in more vulnerable positions that clearly were meant for a whole other purpose than artful photography.

Pitch was not naïve, and he’d refused at first, but Jamie grew greedy, and there was no disagreement unless Pitch wished to be ignored for days on end. It was excruciating to bear until finally this all too common use of neglect would eat away at Pitch until finally he offered to pose for him because he wanted Jamie to be happy with him. He wanted Jamie to remind him that he could be seen. He needed that faith to feel the unburdening touch that reassured Pitch that he had in fact not been forgotten.

These games of power moved through an ebbing cycle of further debauchery, “Just a little further,” the now baritone voice coaxed gently. The glint in his eyes reminded Pitch of a predator as they bore into his flesh. The meaty calloused hand slid gently down the slender quivering thigh lightly applying pressure to spread his legs further.

Pitch looked away swallowing the lump that had worked into his throat as he slowly acquiesced. Some small part of him broke to give in to the exposure as he heard the camera click.

The boy chided, “There you go tensing again. Just act natural,” he said soothingly silken whispers, but there was no natural about this. The hand was eager as it gripped handfuls of flesh pushing the leg more forcefully back to open up and bare him fully. The shutter flashed again several more times.

Jamie sighed, Pitch was doing it again. He was retreating back into whatever dark recesses he went to when Jamie pushed a little too hard. He kissed the knobby knee and gently ran the length of the top of Pitch’s thigh thrilling at the goosebumps that bloomed across the still slightly shivering flesh, “Hey, it’s okay. We can stop for now. I just… I just wanted a little something for later to admire you by.” His hand slid up past the thigh lingering on the delicate hip bone.

Pitch could sense the animalistic want to sink fingers into flesh, but the hesitation and the added temperature radiating through the teen’s hand was all that Jamie had allowed… this time.

Rough poorly manicured fingertips resumed their journey like a lazy crocodile up Pitch’s abdomen tracing smoothly over protruding rib bones that shuttered reflexively. “You like that. You do; don’t you?”

His husky words elicited another sharp intake of breath from Pitch unsure what to say. He remained silent staring at the ceiling as he worked to even out his breathing once more. Piercing pain applied to his nipple had Pitch jerk with a gasped, “Yes!” And then a quieter more subdued, “yes.”

The fingertips withdrew with a gentle swab across his chest flicking the other nipple playfully as a small chortle escaped Jamie’s throat, “I knew you would. Don’t you worry, I’m going to make sure you’re taken care of. You know I care about you right?”

Pitch nodded whispering a barely audible, “Yes.”

The bulky form flipped Pitch on his side easily moving up to spoon the lithe form tightly to him. Hot kisses trailed slowly from Pitch’s shoulder to his neck where the hungry mouth latched down just hard enough to make the Boogeyman’s body grow ridged. An amused chuckle followed as more kisses pressed tender affections into the nape of his neck. Pitch relaxed, and Jamie pulled on him passively to align their bodies to suit his comfort.

Jamie liked this, and honestly, the closeness of feeling the other man’s strong heartbeat against his back Pitch found soothing. He needed to be held, and Jamie wanted him, maybe he even needed him. How long had it been since he’d ever had someone want him, or wish to touch him? Pitch sighed closing his eyes and concentrating on the slow rhythmic rise and fall of Jamie’s chest and the unbreakable grip possessively pulling him back into the man who had claimed him.

“You’re beautiful; to me. That’s all that matters because no one else is going to love you like I do. You’re mine, and you’ll always be mine,” the rich words carried weight. Jamie believed them, so why shouldn’t he?


	2. Surprise

Chapter Two

Surprise

The rustle of clothes made Pitch open his eyes and turn towards his captor; Jamie was leaving him to go out into the world again. In some ways he was glad, and in some ways he would miss him. Pitch wasn’t sure how he felt anymore; shouldn’t he be grateful the man gave him any attention at all? Isn’t that what Jamie was always telling him? No one believed in the Boogeyman, no one had come for him, no one had ever even looked for him, and no one ever would.

The first half of a decade he’d fought. Endless thoughts devoted to breaking free. He’d called out when the gag had been removed; he’d screamed bloody murder to a sky that wept not a tear for the likes of him, although Pitch shed many bitter tears for himself. Jamie had made him wear the gag whenever he’d leave to ensure no such antics occurred again. It was his own fault. He’d hurt Jamie, and Pitch paid dearly for his blatant disrespect. He had been ignored thoroughly for a whole week’s time until Pitch had sank into a state of lethargy.

Out of all the horrible pains he’d suffered, to feel the pain of utter and complete disregard was the worst for Pitch. Years of being overlooked and shoved back into the shadows to suffer quietly alone had done a number on the nightmare lord’s psyche, “When… when will you be back?” Pitch called out hoarsely; his voice tinged with a slight desperation.

“Soon. Remember I told you I have a surprise for you?” Jamie moved closer to the bed to grab his bag. The boards creaked under his feet.

Pitch nodded, the eclipsed eyes watching him intently.

Jamie knelt down on the rickety mattress running a hand along the set of Pitch’s jaw tenderly. His chestnut eyes traced each angled sharp aspect of Pitch’s face, his beautiful prize. That’s what Pitch was, a hard earned award that Jamie had won. “You’re going to be mine forever,” Jamie mused his mouth parting slightly in his silent fascination and rising desire.

Pitch did not speak, he didn’t move at all, but his eyes took on a glaze of uncertainty. Jamie’s words struck chords within him that resonated a deep-seeded longing, but the finality behind the words and what they meant were dually terrifying. Jamie hadn’t released him in this long, he was still quite young and although Jamie couldn’t actually keep the promise that he crooned unless he became a spirit himself, he could still keep Pitch for many, many more decades, and then what would Pitch do? He’d be all alone again.

Jamie saw the doubt reflecting back through Pitch’s eyes. Pitch had grown much quieter over the years only speaking when Jamie deigned to want to talk about something and, unless prompted, never when Jamie got like this.

These days, Jamie was more interested in touching, experimenting with the Boogeyman’s flesh, to make him hold poses while he took pictures and voyeuristically watched him, and when his need grew great enough, Jamie would reach out to run explorative hands over the nightmare lord’s long limbs, abdomen, chest, and face. More often now while also touching himself.

It was only a matter of time before Jamie was going to move beyond the satisfaction of sensual touches and watching to something a little more carnal. The invasive pictures were just the beginning, and Pitch felt the barrier of Jamie’s resolve to not step to the next level of conquest deteriorating like a malignant cancer.

Jamie rose withdrawing from the Boogeyman with small regretful steps backwards. Pearly white teeth shined down at the Boogeyman with sinister intent, Jamie had always taken care to brush well ever since that fateful Easter.

Tooth always thought he had a wonderful smile and had told him as much the scant times a year they would see each other. Jamie still saw the guardians even now. Never once did the mention of Pitch ever arise in casual conversation from their lips. It was a testament that Jamie was the only one who cared about Pitch, and he was sure to tell Pitch as much. The boogeyman needed to know his place was by his side after all.

He turned to leave, “Only a couple more days, to wait; you’re going to love it. Things are going to change, and you’re going to be so thankful,” the last sentence was foreboding murmured in a throaty promise that dripped with too much eagerness as the boy bounded down the stairs and out of sight.

***************************************

Jamie wiped his brow observing the bedroom appreciatively; it wasn’t very big, but it was going to be perfect for Pitch. He was tired of Pitch being so far away, and with college and work, it lent little time for him to see the Boogeyman. This two bedroom quaint little house was set in a dilapidated part of town that saw little local interest outside of the lake (which tended to stay frozen over for the better part of the year due to the certain proclivity of a wont frost sprite.)

The house was set on a sloping hilltop leading into the woods and eventually to the lake. Not quite lakefront, but there were no neighbors behind him, and the neighbors beside him were spaced far enough away to be visually absent. Because of its size, it was cheap, and other than the groaning wooden floorboards and the horrible faded 70’s print wallpaper in the kitchen, the place was fairly well maintained.

Sarah, or Cupcake as Jamie and his friends had always called her, had gotten into real estate and had told him about the place when old man, Whitman, had finally passed away and the place had went up for sale. The two had grown apart through the years, but on occasion, if they saw each other, they would take a few minutes to catch up. Jamie had expressed interest some time ago that he was looking for an out of the way quiet place without a lot of noisy neighbors, so of course when she’d seen Jamie, she was quick to mention it.

The town of Burgess was small, and the population seemed to be decreasing rather than growing as children grew and moved away and the elderly passed. The Whitman place had already been on the market six months without so much as a bite even though it was considered lakefront property, and as such the price of the little house had sank to under sixty thousand which made for a low mortgage payment.

Jamie’s parents, who had long since mended their differences, had agreed to sign on the house after many promises that Jamie would keep the place up. He was well on his way to a photography degree, and worked hard even though he’d become a very secular boy locking himself away in his room when he was home or disappearing through the night. His grades remained high, he held a steady job, so the Bennetts didn’t pry.

It had taken several months to appropriate the living space of the smallest room of the house carefully to contain Pitch properly. The solar lighting had been a pain to install himself, but he was a studious sort and worked very hard to make accommodations for Pitch and ensure he could in fact never leave him. Even in the event of a power outage, Jamie had set up a generator to safeguard the dark man couldn’t shadow jump. It was Jamie’s duty to keep Pitch, and as such, he took great pains to imprison him.

Of course he cared for Pitch too and because he cared, Jamie bought an elegant canopy bed (just for the metal rigging not the aesthetic value.) The framework bowed across the top of the bed in the shape of an ‘X’ where each main post connected. The design would allow Pitch movement while still being chained to be able to rise off the bed onto his knees with his arms latched above him. Thinking of Pitch strung up and able to be physically manipulated into a variety of positions Jamie couldn’t see him in currently made a wash of need course through him. He wanted to see the dark man’s lean body contort for him. He had an extra special surprise in store for Pitch. Tonight the nightmare lord was going to truly belong to him.


	3. Moving Day

Chapter Three

Moving Day

The rumble of a pickup truck creaked to a stop a hundred yards away; Pitch perked knowing its sound well. Jamie had gotten the truck for his sixteenth birthday, and through the years, he had driven it faithfully up to the main lot leading into the woods where the dank crumbling remnants of the shack holding Pitch remained.

The shack was worse for wear than when Jamie had first brought the nightmare lord to the hovel (not that it was in very good shape back then.) Over time the moisture that clung to the manmade structure wormed its way through every fiber of the dwelling leaving the distinct smell of mold and deterioration. Moss grew up the concrete basin and roots sprouted through the floorboards leaving trails of new life that valiantly fought to overtake the once proud edifice. Now the dead remains of the domicile wept with moans and groans of the passage of time and willful neglect. Truth be told, the building was already condemned over twenty years ago, and Jamie had known for some time that to keep coming back here was becoming a dangerous hazard.

Today would be the last day he graced this doorway. Jamie would collect his last possession having removed everything else from the lighting fixtures to the faded pictures on the walls earlier that morning much to Pitch’s dismay. Jamie hadn’t deigned to speak to him as he’d hurried about pulling up all the objects that Pitch had come to recognize as familiar structures over the years. The dark man feared the change that was coming when he saw the room being stripped bare especially when Jamie left only him lingering behind like a child’s forgotten toy. Was Jamie’s surprise that he was finally done with him? Would he leave him here to rot? No, Pitch didn’t really think so, but some parts of him were very irrational and susceptible to seeds of doubt for fear of abandonment. All Pitch had these days was time to reflect and obsess over the things that Jamie did as Jamie’s company was the only interaction with anything he had known in years.

Jamie held a long thin blanket in his arms as he artfully made his way up the steps careful to avoid the rotted areas that were ready to give way to a heedless foot.

Pitch’s eyes were fixed on the open door as Jamie emerged with a toothy grin, “Are you ready for that surprise?”

Pitch nodded lightly his eyes falling to the blanket with a curious stare.

Jamie strode casually forward unravelling the blanket as he made his way towards Pitch, “Sit up for me,” Jamie whispered.

Pitch did as he was asked without hesitation. The shade had become accustomed to direction and thought nothing other than to comply these days.

This of course elicited a darker smile from the boy as he imagined Pitch following other commands later that night just as easily. His pants felt tight, and he had to tell himself that patience was a virtue. He’d waited this long after all hadn’t he? What was a few more hours? He supposed because it was only a few more hours, it was making him feel edgy.

He took in a deep breath as sweaty palms tucked the blanket behind Pitch, “Lay back now.” Jamie watched Pitch perform his instruction wordlessly staring at Jamie with those ever observant haunted eyes, “Now lift your ass up; good, just like that,” satisfaction dripped from his voice as Pitch obeyed lifting his lithe form languidly at each juncture. Pitch had to know that Jamie’s eyes enjoyed lingering on the ripple of muscles as he moved because Pitch always took his time to shift so fluidly. Jamie saw this as yet another reason he deserved to explore the dark man more than lingering touches and pictures. Pitch was asking for him to take the next step, begging for it. Jamie knew that deep down, Pitch had just been too shy to ask for it; he was just teasing him waiting for Jamie to make the next move. Jamie licked his lips as a small shudder coursed through his body; he planned to meet that silent request very soon now.

Jamie smoothed the blanket out underneath Pitch evenly looking over his work with a pleased nod. One by one, Jamie unlatched each chain from the tired old mattress and crisscrossed them over Pitch neatly before wrapping the thin frame like a burrito and hauling him up in one swift pull off of the mattress. Pitch didn’t struggle, but his whole form was rigid as Jamie hugged Pitch to his chest. He was much lighter than Jamie remembered. Pitch had fought and twisted as much as the magical bonds had allowed all those years ago when Jamie had first hauled the Boogeyman up the stairs to latch him to this bed, but then he was only nine. Now he was going on twenty, and what once felt like a bit of a challenge to hold Pitch, like fighting a big fish threating to snap the line, now felt like holding an injured animal too weak and afraid to move. Some small part of Jamie felt a pang of guilt, but it faded quickly enough. He cared for Pitch and no one else did; Pitch’s compliance now was just a realization of this he was certain. Jamie pulled the body tighter to himself kissing Pitch’s temple gently, “You’re going to like your new home,” he whispered seductively into the back of the nightmare lord’s neck.

Pitch trembled slightly as he’d been picked up feeling the strong arms squeeze around his body. His eyelids drooped under the comforting embrace, and he let out a soft sigh feeling the warmth of soft lips pressed against his temple and the heated breathy whisper promising he wasn’t going to be left behind after all.

Jamie cradled Pitch closely to him, Pitch’s head laid flush against his chest now, and his soft black hair tickled Jamie’s nose smelling of smoke and rich earthen soil. He inhaled deeply always marveling at the exotic attributes the dark man held. His Boogeyman; he gripped Pitch a little more tightly, possessively. Only he loved Pitch.

Jamie was quite proud to have taken such a trophy knowing the powers Pitch had once wielded. He often wondered if he’d ever deigned to let Pitch go whether he’d ever come anywhere near that height of power again. On some level, Jamie was wary of the revenge such a creature could spend literally an eternity enacting on the entirety of his family line, or at least he did once upon a time. These days, not as much since Pitch had taken on a rather demure disposition readily bowing to Jamie’s wants just to get the small bits of attention Jamie would offer.

Pitch was a sad sight to behold, and to know he’d been the one to drag Pitch to such a depth of dehumanization should have made Jamie feel revulsion, but instead it made him feel a sick sort of glee to have broken the spirit so thoroughly. Pitch deserved it after all didn’t he? He was the Nightmare King, and he had made it his goal to plague children with horrible dreams, Jamie saw it as fitting that he’d put a stop to him. He’d conquered Pitch even when the Boogeyman had sought specifically to tear down his home so long ago. He’d put the monster in a box, tamed him even. There was still more to conquer that he’d yet to stake claim on.

It made Jamie want more; he’d had fantasies… many, many twisted fantasies. These he kept to himself when they had evolved a few years back; Jamie hadn’t fully accepted them then. Of course windows through the internet showed him that he was far from the only one to have these fantasies; he’d even learned a few tricks to try out that he never would have thought of.

 Through the past four years, Jamie had experimented with other teens, and although the experiences were enjoyable, they were awkward and felt wrong. He wasn’t attached to any of them, but he was attractive, and both the boys and the girls had thrown themselves at his feet. Jamie was still quite shy then, but they gave him confidence and precision as he used them like practice dolls in their mutual explorations. It had come to Jamie about a year ago, the reason he could never find any fondness for those that he had played with, it was because he’d already given that part of himself to Pitch.

Pitch had to know this he was sure, but as much as he wanted to test his theory, the thought of doing so in the old shabby husk of a house on an equally ruined mattress wasn’t Jamie’s idea of a memorable first time to starting the next stage of their relationship. It would cheapen the experience, and Pitch was worth more than that to him, so he bided his time, continued to save, and looked for a place that he could make theirs. Now that he’d found it, Jamie knew they would be truly happy together.


	4. Welcome Home

Chapter Four

Welcome Home

Jamie had left Pitch’s face uncovered as he carried the bundle carefully down the decayed steps, and Pitch not having left those same four walls in a decade’s time couldn’t help but to gape open-mouthed and wide-eyed as if star struck by the changing scenery as they descended down the stairs and through the remains of the house.

Jamie observed him passively with a small grin etched on his face, “I can’t wait to show you the new place. I worked extra hard to make it nice for you.”

The nightmare lord’s eyes were drawn to the man now as Pitch quietly absorbed the statement. He felt anxious and curious all at once. There had been a buildup of tension these past few months that he’d sensed in Jamie. Pitch had wondered where the root of it was coming from because Jamie had not spoken about it. The boy could be very quiet and downright unresponsive if he didn’t feel like talking, so Pitch did not push. Pushing often resulted in longer bouts of loneliness as Jamie felt a need to estrange himself from Pitch’s presence until he did feel the urge to converse again. It was a cruel tactic, but it had its desired result, and Pitch had learned to wait patiently for any further information until the boy was ready to relay it willingly.

The trees rustled as the wind blew a cold reminder of the changing of seasons, it was almost November, and the leaves were rapidly turning red and brown as the last vestiges of Fall were falling away to wear the new dress of winter. Jamie trudged forward across the mounds of dead leaves, through the trees, and towards the pickup truck that awaited them at the top of the hill like a silent lookout. With one hand holding Pitch closely, Jamie used his other hand to pop open the truck’s door before gently placing Pitch in the passenger’s seat. He used the seatbelt to secure the Boogeyman to the seat, not that Pitch could move having had the restricting magical chains wrapped around his body, but at least in this regard, his body would not be flung across the truck as Jamie drove.

The truck lurched as Jamie’s hulking form hopped into the driver’s side and put the truck into gear; Pitch was still amazed by how much the boy had become a man in the time that they had been together. Since he saw Jamie every day, it didn’t often occur to him until small cues such as this would remind him of the passage of time. Pitch stiffened as he felt the vehicle vibrate and then stammer into reverse. He’d never in all his years ridden in an automobile, and although he’d seen plenty of them, to be inside one was a marvel in itself.

Jamie could tell the experience was unnerving the nightmare lord, so he reached a hand to set lightly on Pitch’s thigh, “Don’t worry, we’re not going too far away. We’ll be there in about ten minutes flat.”

Pitch wasn’t really listening to him as he stared out the window taking everything he saw in. Seeing new sights after so long gave him a surge of longing to be free once more. He’d adapted to the dingy four walls of the crumbling house Jamie had dragged him to when he’d first captured him, and now, Pitch was working to wrap his mind around where Jamie was taking him next.

True to Jamie’s word, they traveled down a few side streets to the highway, and rode down the expanse of the desolate juncture for the majority of the ten minutes before pulling onto a dirt road that led to a number of spaced out houses along the way. They turned off right before the road led down to the lake and continued down a bumpy dusty dirt road for a couple miles before Jamie tottered the truck into a slopping driveway that looped around like a frown.

They were finally here! Jamie’s smile grew as he looked over at Pitch. Pitch was busily staring out of the passenger side window still taking in the scenery; there was much more scenery for him to be taking in Jamie decided as he moved around the truck to Pitch’s side opening the door to collect him. Jamie was quick to unlatch the seatbelt and scoop Pitch into his arms eager to whisk Pitch up the small set of steps leading into the quaint two bedroom home.

Pitch finally broke the silence now as he stared at the beige colored siding flaking from a lack of paint for several years and the equally faded white wooden door, “Where… where have you brought me?” he queried.

Jamie lifted Pitch a little higher so as to whisper in his ear now, “Home. This is your new home. Our home.”

The words, ‘our home’ left Pitch astounded. Although he supposed it should have occurred to him that sooner or later Jamie would branch out away from under his parent’s roof to seek out a place of his own. What surprised Pitch most was Jamie’s desire to want to bring him here and the fact that he called it a home for both of them. Pitch wanted companionship badly, Jamie had given him this to a degree, but he’d also kept him buried at an abandoned wreck leaving Pitch to always doubt Jamie’s sincerity when he’d told him how much he cared for him. Now though, Pitch felt a pang of elation to know that Jamie wanted him in his life enough to bring him to his new residence.

Jamie fiddled with the keys a moment before the click of the lock sounded and he pushed the door open with a booted heel. The door opened to into the living room area where a TV set sat on a stand to the left, and a three-seat cushion couch next to a glass coffee table sat opposite to the right. Straight forward of the door was an island bar table that separated the living room from the kitchen, and a sliding glass door could be seen leading out to the back porch that stood suspended off the ground off of the slopping hill to give a nice view through the trees to the lake.

Jamie kicked the door closed as Pitch took in all of the specifics of the house. Jamie didn’t give him much time to take in the view as he turned down the hallway next to the TV passing first the bathroom which had two doors, one from the hallway and another as a direct access from the master bedroom that Pitch only got a glance of through the bathroom door since the other door was closed. At the end of the hall was another closed door that Jamie leaned down to pop open and walk into. This room was small, but its lack of furniture made it look bigger than it was.

Pitch’s eyes rested on the cagey looking frame of the bed, and it became apparent quickly that he’d traded one mattress out for another to be chained to. A small panic rose inside him, but he didn’t make a sound as Jamie laid him on the bed and began unwrapping the blanket around him. As Jamie unraveled the first chain and moved to secure it to the bed, Pitch called out desperately, “Please! You… you don’t have to… I …I won’t leave you.”

Jamie stopped looking back at Pitch as if seriously considering his words before giving him a leer, “Maybe, maybe not. The truth is, I kind of like seeing you chained to the bed… just waiting for me… like you should be. You want me to be happy don’t you?”

The look he gave Pitch offered no refusal of what Jamie desired, and not wanting to upset him, Pitch only averted his eyes letting out a demure, “Of course.” He said no more as Jamie continued to fasten his restraints. His nerves were on edge now as waves of lecherous need coursed off of Jamie leaving little doubt exactly what the man was thinking.

Jamie tugged the boxers free before chaining his legs, so Pitch was fully naked on the bed now. Jamie twirled the article of clothing on his forefinger as he smiled smugly down at him, “You won’t be needing these anymore.” He tossed the boxers on the ground and climbed behind Pitch resting his knees at either side of Pitch’s head as he pulled on each arm gently raising them along the framework and into the air.

Pitch gasped as his arms were brought up towards the ceiling finally coming to a stop at the apex of the top of the frame where the X met. He was stretched taut enough that his lean frame showed clearly every rib, but his shoulders were relaxed and his knees were still firmly on the bed. The chains on his feet had enough slack for him to curl his legs under him, but his restraints still left him spread to either side. He could feel Jamie’s body behind him as the massive erection pressed into the small of his back through the man’s jeans. Pitch drew in a breath as full realization of this set up finally dawned on him. Jamie wanted more, and this bed was a means to get it in the manner he desired. Jamie could have gone the next step before, but he’d been biding his time apparently. Now the tension for the past few months was understood; it was all leading up to this big reveal Pitch realized with a shudder knowing to be in this position what was going to come next.

Jamie leaned forward resting his forehead on the back of Pitch’s skull as he took a deep inhale into the back of Pitch’s neck. He ran his hands down the length of chain that now dangled from the top of the frame, past Pitch’s hands, and stopped to clasp his own thick hands around Pitch’s thin delicate wrists. The weight and span of Jamie’s body pressed against Pitch expressing its lust as he took a moment to grind against Pitch’s backside.

Pitch stiffened as he began to tremble; his breath hitched in the mounting terror he was feeling before he felt Jamie release his hands from his wrists and lazily make their way down the length of his body only to stop at his hips where fingers sank into his flesh avariciously. Jamie grunted a gruff sound that rumbled out of his throat; it promised to take Pitch without mercy in its dominance.

Jamie let out a soft sigh as he climbed off the bed drawing his hand across Pitch’s bottom and giving one cheek a greedy grasp grabbing a handful of flesh for a moment before releasing it as quickly as he’d grabbed a hold of it. Not yet, but very soon, he promised himself.

Pitch looked both surprised and panicked, but most of all he was relieved that Jamie had stopped when he had although deep down, he knew this was only a small reprieve if the hunger in the boy’s eyes now meant anything.

Jamie’s smile broadened, “I’m going to grab a bite to eat and a shower. Get used to your new accommodations, and I’ll be back later to help you break them in.” He didn’t turn back around after saying this simply walking out the door and closing it softly behind him as Pitch stared in disbelief.


	5. Claimed

Chapter Five

Claimed

(WARNING! This chapter is brutal! Lots of triggering stuff here, and terrible things that no person should ever put another person through! (This is a fanfic, not reality; please do remember!) Poor Pitch! Anyway, consider yourselves fully warned! 0o)

Jamie groaned as he released himself in the shower. He was too excited, and he wanted to make sure he had plenty of stamina. He’d already taken care of himself twice prior to picking Pitch up to bring him home, and now he just wanted to be sure that he didn’t disappoint Pitch by getting off too quickly. Of course he planned to make their first night last several rounds. He had been waiting for this night for quite some time after all, and as much as he’d fantasized about it, it was finally going to become a reality! To say he was excited was an understatement.

When Jamie had left, Pitch felt a wash of cold overtake him. He stared down at his stark nakedness never so much before wanting to cover himself. The lingering touches and the pictures had been one thing, but this, this was definitely not as harmless. What was worse was the sinking despair that Pitch knew that he couldn’t stop Jamie from physically taking him. If he protested too much, would he just gag him? Would he be vindictive and hurt him? It was going to hurt; he was quite sure of that. He would have to submit or fear subtle retribution with no recourse of escape. The boy didn’t express anger explosively, he expressed it coldly, calculating and deliberate like the bully that carefully takes tweezers to the wings of flies. But, if he pleased Jamie, perhaps he would be kind and gentle with him? Pitch had to hope.

This was a whole new fear that Pitch had willed himself away from thinking that even though Jamie had become more explorative the past couple years, the boy had always held back going that extra step out of what Pitch had perceived was respect, but now understood was instead perfect timing to Jamie. He supposed he should have seen it coming; Jamie had become very methodical in most things that he did, and above all he valued patience to complete most tasks he’d ever shown an interest in sharing with Pitch. It was, after all, how a nine year old would have had the ability to even capture a spirit like him in the first place.

Pitch stared up at his limp wrists hanging and the way the chains connected to the steel frame. He worked them backwards carefully letting them slide down the length of the bed, so that he could lay on the mattress once more. For the first time in a very long while, Pitch felt tears prick his eyes as the actuality of his situation overtook him.

Most times Pitch turned the tide of these thoughts to focus on the good aspects of Jamie that wanted his company, that gave him tender touches of appreciation, or that listened to him drone on about points in the past that the boy thought to be interesting. He had wanted to hear him, to know him. These points of validation had helped Pitch to adjust to his new life and in turn not go insane. If it was one thing the nightmare lord had learned going through years of isolation was the ability to compartmentalize his suffering. He would compartmentalize this to he assured himself.

Jamie didn’t leave Pitch waiting awfully long having fixed himself a sandwich that he had a hard time eating. His stomach had butterflies, and eating was honestly the last thing on his mind, but he wanted to insure he had the energy he planned to expel replenished. To this end, Jamie forced small bite after small bite until the sandwich was eaten. Once finished, he studiously washed the dish and cleaned the countertop to replace everything just so before making his way to Pitch’s room.

The sensation of pins and needles ran up and down his body as Pitch heard the creak of the old wood boards still unfamiliar to him, but familiar enough to know they were moving in his direction. He stared at the door expectantly, but even still, his hands curled into fists and his body immediately went rigid as the door opened to reveal Jamie smiling lasciviously at him.

“Did you miss me? I missed you,” he continued to grin sifting in the robe’s pocket he wore to pull out a small bottle and toss it on the bed. He disrobed turning to hang the robe on a hook protruding from the door to leave himself naked as well.

Pitch couldn’t help his eyes being drawn to how huge his member was. It was already at full attention nine inches long, with an impossible girth, dripping with pre-cum, and ready to go. It was huge! He couldn’t just submit even though he’d convinced himself it was in his best interest. A large amount of fear to have to endure what the man was packing and some small part of the pride that had been torn away years ago rose from the ashes then, “I… I don’t want this. Please…”

Jamie stopped in his advancement as if he’d been slapped in the face. No, after all that they built together? How could Pitch not want this? Pitch clearly didn’t know what he wanted, but once he felt how much Jamie cared for him that would change, Jamie projected a calm exterior, but internally he was raging, ‘I’ve been waiting too damn long for this! How dare you try to ruin this after everything I’ve done for you! I know deep down, you want me like I want you; you just aren’t giving this relationship a chance!’ Even though he was warring inside, Jamie continued moving forward slowly holding out a hand in supplication, “Don’t say that… just try to relax, you’ll see. Everything is going to be great. You’re… you’re just nervous.”

Pitch shook his head vehemently, he was afraid to say anymore. The look in Jamie’s eyes was determined, and Pitch found himself jerking backwards with a swift jump feeling his ankles strain as the links locked.

Jamie let out a breathy chortle as he climbed on the bed over the tightly pulled chain and braced leg to sidle up between his legs, “Where are you going to go?” Pitch was playing hard to get, and apparently he wanted to be taken by force. Why didn’t Jamie get before that he would likely want it rough? Pitch was the essence of fear and nightmares, so he probably wanted to feel a rush of fear in this way. That made sense, and Jamie would accommodate Pitch.

The olive tanned hands sank into the milky white of Pitch’s legs where his thighs met his hips causing Pitch’s already tense body to convulse. The strong arms wrapped around his legs and yanked hard enough to draw out a cry of alarm from Pitch as he felt his whole body pulled back across the bed leaving his wrists to feel the strain his ankles had moments ago.

Jamie smiled darkly down at the sight before him. Pitch stared silently back at him, like a rabbit would stare at the wolf that had cornered it, biting his lip as his body quivered in terror to which Jamie’s convoluted mind read as desire and anticipation from wanting this as badly as he did.

He’d pulled Pitch’s ass flush against his hot flesh setting his erection on top of Pitch’s flaccid penis while moving his hands from Pitch’s hips up and down the length of his legs to his knees admiring their softness and form. Jamie leaned his head against Pitch’s thigh closing his eyes a moment to drink it in, his unshaven whiskers scratching the flesh beneath slightly and causing another involuntary shudder from Pitch. This only elicited a pleased grin to part Jamie’s mouth as he tenderly kissed Pitch’s inner thigh provoking further quakes of anxiety from the nightmare lord.

He whispered to Pitch as if to say it out loud would break the trance of the scene they were playing out, “Do you want me to use lube, or would you prefer I take you naturally?” As Jamie spoke he eagerly stroked himself with one hand as he continued to knead the flesh of Pitch’s other leg.

Pitch had been gritting his teeth and doing his best to brace himself for what was about to happen, and to have Jamie ask him to tell him to be merciful made him want to burst into tears, “Please… yes.” He choked out moving his eyes to the ceiling to take himself away from being here.

Jamie gave the thigh he held one more passionate kiss before he left it to lay on his shoulder sliding forward to grab the lube.

Pitch did not look, but his lip trembled as he listened to the flip of the cap popping followed by the squishy sounds of Jamie readying himself all while letting out soft grunts of pleasure. His greased fingers moved to Pitch’s puckered entrance slathering it with the lube, and while there, he was unable to stop an exploring finger from probing into Pitch.

Pitch gasped powerless to stop the strangled noise from escaping his throat as he clenched at the invasion whimpering at the burn.

“So tight! Just feeling you on my finger lets me know how hot it’s going to be to put myself in you,” Jamie’s words dripped with want as he inserted another finger moving them fluidly in and out before pulling them free deciding that he’d rather have other parts of himself exploring Pitch. The one thigh he held up over his shoulder, Jamie tightened his grip on as the other hand guided his cock up and down the crack of Pitch’s ass until finally pressing against his entrance, Jamie gave a slight push to pop his head inside the nightmare lord.

Pitch squealed out, “Ow! Ow! It hurts!” He bucked at the feeling, but Jamie held him in a vice lock as he pinned Pitch’s other leg at the kneecap into the mattress.

“Calm down, calm down! You need to relax. Just breath Pitch, it’s only going to hurt for a minute. Once I’m inside you, it’s going to be a lot easier,” Jamie coaxed as he unrelentingly pushed himself in deeper and deeper.

He wasn’t going to stop; Pitch clenched his eyes shut tightly as he willed himself to stop fighting. The more Jamie pushed that impossibly big thing into him, the harder it was to try and loosen up enough to let Jamie have his way with him. Pitch knew that if he did relax, this could be much easier on him, and after many shaky breaths, he finally allowed himself to unclench.

Of course once he’d done so, Jamie had taken full advantage of feeling Pitch to be ready for the rest of him and drove the second half of himself in to hilt.

Pitch yelped in agony, but this didn’t seem to deter Jamie who instead became a little harder inside Pitch obviously enjoying his shriek. In fact, Jamie pulled Pitch down by his shoulders rocking him into his thrusts before finally pinning his knees up at his sides and down into the mattress to piston in and out in rapid succession.

It burned so badly, Pitch only moaned silently trying not to think about how his body was being used, torn, and jostled about in the frantic pulsating movements of the lustful fever Jamie was taking him in. When he felt the man ejaculate deep inside him, a small blossom of thankfulness bloomed within Pitch.

Jamie collapsed on him still pushing his now half-hard cock to stay buried internally and panting heavily from his exertion. He let himself lie on Pitch as he collected himself; the first time was good, the next time would be better. He wanted Pitch from behind he decided pulling out suddenly before pulling on Pitch’s torso to pull him on his knees, “Bring your arms up above you,” Jamie growled needy with desire.

Pitch stared horrified as he looked down to see Jamie’s cock was already bobbing erect and ready for round two, “I… I need a little rest. I…,” Jamie pulled his face into his locking his mouth into a passionate kiss. Pitch was stunned, but didn’t resist. This was better than the other violation to a degree, and the kiss held such desire for him. Another kiss more tenderly this time followed, and Pitch closed his eyes and found himself kissing back although the tears that he’d held back fell with abandon now as he sobbed.

Jamie kissed each tear stained eyelid, “Shh. I know this is a lot to take in with me finally being able to express to you how much I’ve wanted you for so long, but I’ve got you now. We’re together, forever. I love you Pitch, and I’m going to take good care of you like I always have.”

Pitch let out a mournful wail as Jamie shifted around behind him pressing apart his legs and lining up for a second go. Jamie would find several positions throughout the night as he took Pitch into the wee hours of the morning only leaving him when he’d finally spent himself to exhaustion. He laid with Pitch until the dawn finally shown a golden hue across the doorframe. Raising off the bed, Jamie stretched, “I’m going to go grab a shower, and I’ll be back to bring you to the tub,” Jamie assured as he grabbed his robe from the hook turning back to give Pitch a winning smile and a wink. Everything felt right in Jamie’s world at last.

Pitch had left his conscious mind somewhere else into the third go, no longer able to cope with either the pain or the mental anguish being taken over and over again mercilessly. Now that he was alone, he curled, as much as his restraints would allow, into himself as his body was wracked with the spasms of his unabated tears for a further loss of dignity he didn’t realize he’d even still possessed.


	6. Cleansed

Chapter Six

Cleansed

Jamie was gone for a good thirty minutes before Pitch heard the click of his new bedroom door slide open.

Pitch’s eyes flited to the noise observing his assailant slumped against the doorframe staring at him hungrily for a moment before Jamie pushed himself languidly forward to stalk into the room.

Pitch shivered in remembered anguish of what he’d spent the past twelve hours braving through.

The smile that greeted him beamed with a radiant glow, Jamie was obviously still riding the high from his previous exploits.

Pitch squeezed his eyes shut tightly to hide himself from that gaze praying the boy hadn’t found a second wind. His whole body was sore especially where he’d been used to excess of what he ever thought his physical body could take, and Jamie had definitely tested his body’s limits.

Most times Jamie tried to remain inside him until he’d grown hard once more leaving Pitch unable to ever fully relax, as if in stasis, just uncomfortably waiting for Jamie to catch his breath and reignite his own fueled passion to spur on an even longer often times rougher bout as Jamie became more desperate to cum again and again.

The memories left phantom impressions on his mind as the boy’s mere presence drew Pitch to shrink back into himself.

Jamie leaned close to Pitch’s huddled body; he hovered now lacing Pitch’s exposed flesh with steamy breath and slow softly planted kisses along his curled side that made the tiny hairs on Pitch’s skin stand on end.

He spoke to Pitch in cheery tones now as if he were reminiscing on a mutually fond memory, “You were great you know… and as promised, I’m going to bring you back to take a nice bath. I’ve drawn it a little on the hot side, so it’ll help you relax a little. Once we clean you up, I’m going to let you soak while I change your sheets.”

Pitch listened, but he didn’t lift his head or look to acknowledge the boy’s words as he continued to reflexively pull lightly on the mythical chains, each connected link growing taught a moment before relaxing once more as if Pitch believed they might finally give way and allow him to curl into a ball and fade out of existence.

Jamie paused watching the movements as an amused smile tugged at his lips. He sat down giving Pitch’s shoulder a small nip before moving to lay beside the Boogeyman; his lips were mere inches from the nightmare lord’s ear as he laid his face, with half lidded eyes, lightly on Pitch’s cheek. His voice took on a sultry tone as he whispered, “I can smell our sex all over this room you know. It makes me want to take you again, but I can see I’ve worn you out. I’ll let you conserve your energy for tonight since I’m sure this was as much of a workout for you as it was for me.”

He seemed completely oblivious to Pitch’s palpable distress as he worked one hand through Pitch’s hair softly massaging his scalp while the other hand gently made its way up and down Pitch’s side.

Pitch’s body took on a slight tremble, anticipating a dreaded continuation of what it had just gone through, but, Jamie only sat up to release the first chain holding one of his feet constrained to the bed.

Pitch drew the leg in close, and by the time Jamie had released his other foot and moved to one of the chains that bound Pitch’s hands, the nightmare lord had completely folded in on himself.

Jamie said nothing as he unclipped the last chain; he only leaned down to scoop Pitch up gently and cradle him in his arms.

Pitch kept his eyes squeezed tightly shut only briefly opening them as he’d been lifted into the air, radiant gold and silver flashing warily about before retreating back into closed safety as he was possessively pulled into Jamie’s chest.

As Jamie padded out of the room, through the hallway, and into the bathroom, Pitch listened to the quickening of Jamie’s heart pulsating against his ear.

The bathroom was a decent size with mostly modern average accommodations, but the tub was a stylistic claw foot tub. It was deep and long.

Jamie slowly lowered Pitch into the steaming waters, and Pitch gasped opening his eyes wide as the sensation overwhelmed him. It had been years since he’d been able to bathe. It wasn’t necessary as a spirit, but it could still feel good. When Jamie had been much younger, he’d attempted just the act of washing Pitch’s hair on the creaky broken mattress with nothing more than a car sponge and a bucket of water. Back then, Pitch had been much more disagreeable and had left the task to be a grueling and final experience.

They were no longer at the crumbling structure Pitch was made to call home anymore. Things were far different now; some things were better like the quality of the mattress he was chained to and the comforts of a hot bath, and… other things… well, they were not better.

Jamie clipped each chain to one of the claw feet of the tub finally standing to inspect the job he’d done. There was still plenty of slack from the length of the chains giving Pitch quite a bit of freedom to move, at least more than he was used to on the mattress.

Pitch didn’t move though, he only sat, hunched over drawn together knees, and despite the heat of the tub, he still quaked with a slight jitter barely noticeable outside the tremors rolling away from his body like miniature waves.

Jamie pulled a washcloth from the towel rack followed by the shampoo and bodywash from the shower caddy that hung from the showerhead. Without a word, he knelt down placing the bottles on the floor and plunged the washcloth into the tub’s depths to soak it. He proceeded to use the washcloth to drag the tub’s waters up to drench Pitch’s hair fully before wringing out the rag and laying it across the edge of the tub.

Pitch watched the motion dully and only blinked casually as the water cascaded down around his angular features seeming quite subdued within the waters. His head still sagged forward unmoving, but his eyes followed the washcloth about as it had dipped down into the tub in a rhythmically slow routine of pulling water up to douse his hair thoroughly. Shock from the night’s events kept him rooted in place desperate to feel the kindness Jamie was now bestowing on him and erase the awful feelings of being an object.

Jamie ran a hand through Pitch’s matted hair letting go an entertained chuckle, “It’s so odd to see you here, like this, with me.” He smiled brightly at Pitch as he flicked a stray strand of hair from Pitch’s brow. Jamie’s gaze watched him intensely, “You’re so beautiful. No matter how many times I look at you, I never stop being fascinated.”

Pitch found himself lifting his head now to regard Jamie with an almost awe. There was the Jamie he’d come to know and yearn affection from; this side of Jamie came out of the man before him in small clips these days that could vanish as quickly as they appeared. They were fleeting moments, almost unrecognizable and alien to the man he reflected most often.

Smiling, Jamie laid a tender kiss on the tip of Pitch’s nose.

Pitch blinked rapidly at the sweetness behind the kiss as his eyes refocused on Jamie looking at him with slight confusion as if he couldn’t tell who he was really taking in with his eyes.

Jamie merely gave a soft chuckle reaching down to grab the shampoo and lift it above Pitch’s head. His other hand cupped Pitch’s face tilting his head up lightly. He cradled Pitch’s chin while his thumb rubbed slow lines down the curvature of his cheek, “I want you to stay really still for me this time okay?”

Pitch’s eyes never left his as he gave one small nod to signify his compliance to Jamie’s request.

Jamie’s smile grew as he whispered back, “Just relax, and let me take care of you,” as he said this, he squeezed some of the shampoo into Pitch’s hair placing the bottle down on the ground before bringing his hand back up to work his fingers through the left side of Pitch’s hair. The other hand never left the side of the nightmare lord’s face.

As Jamie’s fingers dutifully explored inch by inch of the left side of his scalp, Pitch’s eyes stayed transfixed on Jamie’s eyes; his brow was creased in worry but otherwise Pitch remained stiff and unresponsive while Jamie scrubbed.

When the left side had been well lathered and slicked down flat, Jamie rinsed the hand and drew it up to rest in the same pose on the other side of Pitch’s face. He pulled Pitch forward lightly to gently kiss his lips.

Pitch closed his eyes taking in the fondness Jaime felt for him and sighed softly as Jamie began to work his right hand through the other half of his hair just as systematically and thoroughly as he had the left side until the full of his head was well soaped. He was breathing in slow calm intakes of air now letting Jamie tilt his head as he applied washcloth full of water after washcloth full of water painstakingly careful to avoid any soap getting in Pitch’s eyes until he was sure all of the shampoo had been rinsed free of Pitch’s hair.

 Once finished with Pitch’s hair, Jamie grabbed the bodywash to pour a line of the liquid soap onto the rag and set the bottle of bodywash back on the floor. Jamie carefully held his arm aloft taking pains to gently lather the soap across the nightmare lord’s pale flesh.

Pitch watched with languid fascination as the washcloth would cling onto his shoulder and was dragged carefully down his arm to leave a trail of bubbled suds and a chemical smell of the sea. It wasn’t like the real thing, but it also wasn’t unpleasant he found.

Jamie took his time washing Pitch in the same fashion and having him lay back as he reached into the depths to wash all of his submerged parts.

Pitch stiffened as Jamie saved his genitals for last wanting to pay the area special care by the way he lingered when washing him.

Jamie felt Pitch tightening and coaxed, “Relax. You made me feel so good last night, it’s time for me to make you feel good,” his words were followed first by one and then by a second finger plunging into him while Jamie’s other hand slid down the length of his flaccid shaft.

Pitch jerked uncomfortably but was afraid to pull away in fear of offending Jamie for not accepting his attempt to ‘make him feel good.’ He felt so raw though, even with unnatural healing abilities, it would take a while to heal what Jamie had done to him. He was thankful his two fingers were much less thick than his cock that had seemed to fill him impossibly. To Pitch’s alarm, there was something that Jamie was doing with his fingers though that Pitch’s body responded to involuntarily.

“Do you like that?” His voice sounded mocking as Pitch’s member started to become stiff, “It’s called, milking the prostate. I learned how to do it while watching some medical videos.”

Pitch felt confusion flood through him as Jamie pushed both fingers fully inside him and pressed up gently towards his navel shifting his fingers from side to side in rhythmic circles all while pulling on his cock. A strong pressure began to build within him, and Pitch couldn’t help but to thrash a bit and gasp as the mounting force sent electric jolts of intense reactions to his body’s pleasure sensors.

Jamie continued to apply a gentle massage in an upward motion, and no matter how Pitch jerked, Jamie’s fingers followed his frame keeping a vigilant application to the aforementioned cluster of nerves until his body betrayed him, and Pitch orgasmed with a startled yell. His anus twitched around Jamie’s fingers, and the soreness once forgotten felt raw once more as his eyes bulged and he choked for breath trying to contain himself.

Pitch was still not fully aware of what had happened as his body rocked powerfully and all thought was overrode into an obscurity of his mind as he dimly felt Jamie remove his fingers. He laid limply now too stunned to move from the shudders of his release that still left a resonance within him of pleasure.

Jamie seeing the conflict on his face wrapped a hand around his neck and gently pulled him into a passionate kiss.

Pitch stiffened only a moment before melting into the feeling still rocketed by his recent orgasm and a feverish need to feel the affection Jamie was showering him with. He returned the kiss, and their lips locked in an electric hold. They held each kiss for long moments drinking in the other until Jamie dragged his hand through Pitch’s hair and gave it a rough yank pulling away from the kiss and panting with a satisfied smile that was filled with avarice.

The nightmare lord was also panting small quick intakes of breath as his skull rested limply in Jamie’s clutched hand like a sacrifice at the altar, eyes staring to the ceiling, neck and chest laid bare and glistening with droplets of water that fled from his body with each shuddering heave.

His fingers loosened now releasing their hold on Pitch’s skull as Jamie laid him gently back into the now lukewarm tub, “That was nice wasn’t it?” He asked barely audible even though he was only inches away.

Pitch’s yes fluttered still glued to the ceiling, and he croaked out, “Ya-yes…” It really was. His whole body felt like jelly now as he lay spayed out precariously in the tub just a floating dead weight to the dying current of the motion they had broken from.

A gentle kiss pressed against his neck then his cheek and finally his lips once more a little less gentle and a little more hungry than the two that proceeded it. Pitch found he hadn’t shied away from this kiss returning it readily as his eyes shifted fully on Jamie now.

Jamie’s smile broadened, “Rest a bit, I’m going to go change your sheets, and then I’ll be back to collect you.”

Pitch watched him go now a turmoil of emotions roiling through him as he fought to understand what he was feeling. He hadn’t wanted this, but then he came, so he must have wanted this. Hadn’t he? He did like the kissing, it was intimate, and he could feel the power of Jamie’s want and desire of him every time their lips intertwined. It felt good, so… so this must be what he wanted even if he thought at first he hadn’t. Jamie wanted it, Jamie wanted him, and so Pitch would learn to endure. His body would heal, and Jamie would take care of him. He told him he would take care of him Pitch thought tiredly as he sank into the depth of the tub and started to sob softly.


	7. Settling In

Chapter Seven

Settling In

Pitch only allowed himself to cry for a couple minutes as he pulled himself together in fear of Jamie seeing him in such a way after he’d worked to make him orgasm. The man had wanted to satisfy him, to make him happy, and Pitch had to acknowledge the gesture as devotion if just to keep himself from falling into despair. It was easier to accept what Jamie was doing to him if it wore the guise of adulation.

Jamie returned about fifteen minutes later reaching into the depths of water between Pitch’s legs and pulling the drain plug.

Pitch reflexively stiffened as his eyes followed Jamie’s every movement. His face remained neutral even though his nerves felt like he wanted to jump out of his skin. He didn’t want to show fear. Of all things, Pitch despised showing fear; he was supposed to be the master of it, but it ruled him far more than most especially these days. He always knew what someone’s deepest fears were except his own, but for those of his he did know, they had become too numerous to count.

Jamie didn’t speak as he moved around the tub unclasping the links of fine chain from each claw foot, the chains slipped further into the water upon release. Once the chains were free from the tub, Jamie grabbed one of the towels from the shelf against the wall and unfolded it looking down at Pitch expectantly.

Pitch rose gingerly, the chinking sounds made by metal sliding up the ceramic wall of the tub was the only resonance in the room until Pitch stood motionless in front of Jamie. To stand fully erect after so long felt strange and foreign to his limbs that wanted to crumple as he shivered more from Jamie’s avarice stare than from any chill in the air.

Jamie wrapped the towel around Pitch with care before gentling tugging him forward to fall into his arms as he scooped one brawny arm under Pitch’s knees to carefully remove him from the tub in one graceful motion.

Pitch didn’t resist slumping into Jamie’s embrace and finding solace in the warmth from the soft fluffy towel encompassing him. He didn’t expect to stay covered long, but for now, it was a nice change that he would appreciate for however long he could.

Time moved; small kindnesses followed long bouts of Jamie finding sexual gratification from his flesh; it was an almost nightly occurrence for Pitch whether Pitch took it quietly or cried his misery mattered not to Jamie. His reactions to Jamie’s ministrations were only seen as part of some deeper fantasy Jamie was helping to facilitate. Jamie told himself many things of course to make himself firmly believe the fallacy he’d woven into their make-believe mutual relationship.

Pitch had folded into himself playing the part of the silent victim for the first couple months of moving into this new role in their relationship; he did his best to shut out what was happening to him… what continued to happen to him. Jamie never let up though, and the more Pitch quailed, the rougher Jamie seemed to take him. Jamie was aggressively dominant enjoying the prospect of taking Pitch when he was meek. He told himself that Pitch wanted him in this capacity, but the truth of the matter was that this played into the darker side of Jamie’s sexual desires to claim and seize. These stints were always the hardest for Pitch to heal from mentally and physically. Jamie did tend to be gentle and extra sweet to him the next couple nights that followed although Pitch wasn’t sure if it was from kindness to let him heal, a courtesy not to damage him further until he could physically take the behavior again, or guilt that he’d battered and bruised him from such rough handling.

Pitch found ways to justify the treatment to himself as Jamie’s way of showing he deeply desired him. Jamie didn’t really want to hurt him, he wanted to love him passionately and would just get carried away. He was young, and because Pitch assumed because he was a spirit, Jamie didn’t think he could hurt him in the same way he could another human. This was true to an extent, and Jamie never caused any lasting damage, he just went a little overboard sometimes. It was understandable in the heat of the moment when Jamie was so turned on.

This reasoning helped to gain some semblance of himself back as Pitch discovered pleasing Jamie meant positive attention would follow. If Pitch pretended to like what Jamie did, Jamie would be gentle because it changed the rules of their encounter and made Jamie want to bask in their togetherness over an animalistic craving of savage lust. It was a reciprocating trade he’d rationalized, Pitch gave himself to Jamie, and Jamie would repay him with soft caresses and kisses, massages, and body worship.

If Pitch was especially pleasing, before they finished for the night, Jamie would let him cum as a show that Pitch had satisfied him well enough. At first, he would make Pitch cum, even when Pitch hadn’t realized he’d wanted to, until he finally did want to. Jamie would work Pitch up, bring him to the brink, only to make him excruciatingly wait for it. Jamie would take Pitch to a point pleasure and torture merged, and Pitch was on the verge of going mad begging for release. After much teasing, Jamie would finally let Pitch have an orgasm.

Pitch was only allowed to cum after Jaime was buried deep within him with his fingers or his cock (preferably his cock, so he could feel the ripple of Pitch’s orgasm milking him to climax himself); this action helped to adjust the invasive feeling to something positive and easier to cope with for Pitch by making it a condition for his own release and a shared ecstasy as Jamie would always cover him in heated ravenous kisses when Pitch came for him, and as sensitive as Pitch was while coming, sometimes the gyrating movements of Jamie inside him helped to intensify his own orgasm. It made the act pleasurable when Pitch felt it shouldn’t be, but his body surely disagreed with his mind. Expelling himself so readily made Pitch feel like a dirty whore, but getting off eased so much of the anxiety he felt during these encounters that he looked forward to being treated to his own release. It wasn’t so bad then.

Another year went by, and Pitch did his best to learn to please Jamie; the quicker the boy was spent, the more rest he would receive. So Pitch became very, very good at gratifying Jamie’s wants by learning how to move his body, expressions that excited Jamie, and a number of methods that catered to Jamie’s specific likes and sent the boy moaning into climax and usually to follow a need to shower and sleep leaving Pitch in peace.

Other privileges came to Pitch when he did well such as Jamie providing him with little comforts like a sheet and a pillow, a book to read while he was away at work or school, and gestures like bubble baths and full body lotion applications after baths. Pitch did enjoy being pampered, and these comforting gestures built a fondness for Jamie. The man could be so tender when he wanted to be, and those touches, Pitch relished. He was lonely when the man was gone for long hours. He always hated the stillness.

Now that Pitch had accepted Jamie as his partner, Jamie had become quite tender and rarely took him like he had when he’d first brought him home. Pitch had to give a little for the relationship to blossom, and if Jamie did take him roughly, it was just because he’d had a particularly bad day, or Pitch had said something out of line that made Jamie feel the need to teach him his place. Pitch learned quickly enough when he needed to be quiet and wait for Jamie to be in a better mood to deal with him. He could be so needy he knew. Things went much more smoothly as long as Pitch took the time to read Jamie and predict where his mindset was in order to make sure they continued to keep a happy home.


	8. Discovery

Chapter Eight

Discovery

Jamie had just graduated when it happened. The guardians had seen less and less of him as life went on although every day after Christmas and every day after Easter Jamie would meet the guardians by the lakeside at dawn where they’d finally defeated Pitch. It had become a tradition of warm greetings and catching up, and even as secular and quiet as Jamie had become, he tended to always keep a brighter more energetic side for the guardians since they were a wellspring for his earliest beliefs.

Of course once he’d captured Pitch and kept him year after year, a niggling of guilt had made the boy not want to remain in their presence for too long, as if they would just ‘know’ somehow what he was keeping in the abandoned shack three miles from his home. These fears faded as Jamie got older and Pitch was never brought up in any of their conversations. The guardians were often too busy discussing themselves and their own adventures to notice anything off about Jamie; it definitely helped the guilt to diminish until Jamie didn’t give the fact he held Pitch as a secret prize a second thought when they would get together.

As the years rolled by, the guardians would ask about his life and what plans he had, if he’d met someone special and other personal questions he did his best to avoid answering. Jamie artfully shied away from most questions outside of his love for photography. The guardians indulged Jamie’s passion for this creativity, and North had even given him a top of the line camera when Jamie had first started college to encourage him.

Jamie took pictures of special scenes for their holidays or themes (none of which when Jamie showed the pictures to Pitch would the nightmare lord ever deign to comment on other than a disdainful grimace for obvious reasons. Jamie didn’t admonish him this either understanding theirs was a bitter war that stretched farther than he could fathom. And, it kind of amused Jamie to see the jealousy Pitch displayed anytime the guardians were ever mentioned.) The guardians cherished Jamie’s photography though, and Jamie always made sure to print copies for them to take back to their perspective dwellings. Jack had no dwelling, but North had given him a special room when he came to visit the Pole, and he’d hung the ones Jamie imparted onto him there proudly.

Jamie’s graduation date was due to arrive in May, and his elation was to such a degree it reminded the guardians of Jamie’s younger years when they’d first met the boy so inspired with belief. Jamie’s graduation in May was only a month away from now with this being the day after Easter. Jack had an idea, and once Jamie had left their seasonal gathering, he proposed his idea to the other guardians, “So… I was thinking we could throw Jamie a surprise graduation party! How great would it be to show him how much we care about him than to surprise him with a little special get together he’s not expecting?”

The others were reticent at first since getting too attached to any specific human made it that much harder when they would eventually pass away. They’d actually debated a few times on the continued rate that they still came to see the boy, but Jamie having been the last light that had brought them back from the threshold of fading out of existence, they communicatively decided it shouldn’t be too much for them to make a special effort to see him a couple times a year just as they didn’t debate too long that it was fine to bring Jaime joy for such a momentous occasion. It was agreed then, they would surprise Jamie with an after graduation party of their own to be matched by none like that which the guardians could throw.

Once decreed, all the guardians began putting in their input as to what they could do to make the party grand. It would be held at the Pole, and there would be decorations, singing yetis, and of course since Jamie was now twenty-three, a little spiced eggnog and rum filled chocolates! They would have to be extra careful with how much they let Jamie imbibe since what the spirits could make was far more potent than anything that a mere human would ever come across. The guardians did have hundreds of years to perfect such things after all.

As the time drew near, Jack secretly began to observe Jamie’s schedule to know how best to abduct him for their planned adventure. He’d flitted about enough to see the pattern of his days, Jamie seemed to be quite the homebody outside work or school. He located his new residence, and after almost three weeks had never seen a visitor. 

Jack decided, since Jamie’s place seemed so secluded, the best place to surprise him would be at home. Jamie didn’t have any roommates or visitors, so things should go off without a hitch he thought gleefully as he landed on the creaky dilapidated back porch. This was going to be so much fun! Jack had been getting more excited as the days drew on and the guardians began preparations weeks in advance. This really was going to be a party for the ages! Jack tested the door, it was locked, but the small kitchen window over the sink wasn’t.

The winter sprite wriggled easily through the small opening touching down to look about the apartment. There were several pictures hanging on the walls of various photography projects Jamie had proudly hung. Jack pranced about the room playfully dashing through the air to take all the boy’s work in with admiration as if he’d taken the pictures himself. After about twenty minutes though, Jack was starting to get bored. Why did he come here two hours before Jamie was due to arrive anyway?

Jack sighed; he could leave and come back, or he could explore the rest of Jamie’s abode. The walls were covered with photography, so he could burn some time looking around a bit to check out Jamie’s other works while he waited. He didn’t think Jamie would mind since he was always thrilled to share his albums with everyone when they would meet up on the lake especially since he’d started college. So, Jack moved down the hallway admiring the pictures along the way and stopping at the bathroom to peer in. The beige walls had been covered with pictures of seascapes and beaches; Sandy would love these Jack thought absently as he flitted through to the master bedroom.

Jack gasped in shock stunned out of flight as he faltered backward mouth wide in disbelief over what he saw. These walls were covered in pictures as well, pictures of Pitch. Jack blinked as a wave of nausea overtook him the more he grasped of what was happening within the pictures the closer to Jamie’s bed he staggered. Some of the pictures may have been considered tasteful nudity, but many of them were various degrees of pornographic images. The visibility of shackles fastened around Pitch’s limbs and the look of chafing from years of wearing them stood out to Jack and horrified him to realize this was obviously not a recent circumstance.

In the back of the room was a small man made shed, and Jack’s heart pounded as he tentatively made his way towards it. Would Pitch be inside? There was several layers of curtains hanging at the entrance, and as Jack carefully passed through them, he could see this was a homemade black room with a couple of tables lining the edges. One table had pans of liquid illuminated by a bold red light that hung from the ceiling. There was a clothes line that wrapped around all sides of the room where pictures hung in various degrees of development. It was enough to see more pictures that he wished he could have never seen along with others of himself and the guardians from their last visit the day after Easter.

This was all too much to take in. Jack quickly backed out of the shed and was once more affronted by the images that assaulted his eyes. He hadn’t thought about Pitch in years it was true; he’d actually pretty much stopped thinking about him relatively soon after everything had settled. He’d had a lot to adjust to in his own life having become a guardian, and looking back on the past was never a strong suit for Jack when there was always something much more fun to look forward to in the future. He had to get out of this room! Jack tore for the door opening it and quickly shutting it behind himself panting, not from exertion, but from his panic over what he’d seen and what he needed to do.

Should he stick around and confront Jamie? Should he look for Pitch? This all seemed to be way over his head, and he realized he really had no clue how he should go about addressing an issue like this. Jack decided then, this was too big for him to handle on his own; he had to get the others involved, and fast. He zipped down the hall, unlocked the back sliding glass door, and jetted as quickly as he could towards the North Pole.


	9. A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

Chapter Nine

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

Jack dove recklessly through the skylight making a B-line through all the gathered party guests to North.

North had jovially been laughing and carrying on having already had a few spiked eggnogs. His bright demeanor instantly faded when he saw Jack’s face, “Jack? Is everything all right?”

Jack’s face was flushed as he shook his head violently, “No; it’s really not!”

By this point Sandy, who had been dozing by North’s right, was immediately wide awake and at full attention, and Bunnymund and Tooth were making it to the scene with equally concerned expressions.

“What’s got ya all in a twist mate?” Bunnymund queried worriedly.

Jack’s mouth worked trying to find words for what he had seen, “It’s …it’s Pitch…” before he could continue the assembled immediately took on dour countenances with a myriad of responses ranging from gasps of surprise to dark scowls.

Bunnymund whipped out his boomerangs as he spat, “If he hurt Jamie, I swear I’ll…”

Jack was shaking his head when the guardians erupted into conversation; Bunnymund, North, and Tooth began conferring at once a good attack strategy. Jack realized, they were no longer listening to him, and finally sick of their carrying on without even hearing him out, Jack slammed his staff down angrily sending a burst of wind that sent several elves flying and pushed back the guardians a few feet as he yelled out, “Stop it!”

All the guardians’ eyes were now focused on the winter sprite blinking in surprise by the sudden outburst as they silently awaited Jack to explain himself.

Jack swallowed beginning in a much more even tone, “It’s not Pitch hurting Jamie… Jamie… he …he has Pitch.”

Confusion showed across the party gathered as this news settled.

North was the first to speak looking rather bewildered, “Jamie …has Pitch? Are you sure about this Jack?”

Jack nodded, “Unless he’s gotten really good at replicating Pitch’s likeness in his photography.” Jack grimaced at the thought, “There’s more… the pictures… they …they uh, were rather graphic, and Pitch is wearing manacles in them.”

Tooth held a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened.

Bunnymund’s brow drew down, “That demented pervert’s turned our Jamie into some kind of S&M freak! I’m gonna kick him so far back underground his head is gonna pop out in China!” The rabbit was moving about in agitated motions clearly quite disturbed by the news.

North frowned holding out his hands in supplication, “Let’s not be hasty Bunny; we will go to Jamie, see what is going on. This may not be for us to interfere with. We have not seen or heard from Pitch since we put him back in hole almost fifteen years ago, who is to say that Jamie and Pitch are not happy? We must first see, da?”

Sandy looked askance of North’s words only wearing a small thoughtful frown as he waited for everyone to decide what to do next.

Bunnymund holstered his weapons although his fists were balled tightly and his teeth were clenched in his frustration to cope with North’s plan to talk first over just getting straight to fighting.

They all looked to Jack again now wearing somber faces.

North made a loud whistling sound getting the attention of all that were gathered in the globe room celebrating. Once the party goers stilled enough, North addressed them in a sad tone, “My friends, I am sorry to inform, but party is going to be cancelled. Paul, Robert, can you please ready reindeer; we have important matter to attend to.”

A mill of unhappy and confused mutterings moved about the room as yetis and elves began filtering out and Paul and Robert hastened to the task North asked of them.

North sighed heavily, “Come Jack, you will show us where Jamie is now, and we will find out what is going on.”

Jack nodded and the guardians turned to follow Jack and North towards the sleigh except for Bunnymund who growled, “Y’all go on the sled, I’ll meet ya at the lake, and we’ll move together from there.” The others turned back to see the rabbit had already disappeared down one of his tunnels.

North had stopped long enough to grab his sabers, and the four quickly marched down to the departure tunnel. It didn’t take long for Paul and Robert to have the sleigh and reindeer ready to go, but it felt excruciatingly long due to the weighty hush that clung in the air as all the guardians stood waiting and fidgeting nervously in obvious turmoil over the recent news. What did Pitch do to Jamie? This had to be Pitch’s fault… This was what all the guardians wanted to assume, just as Bunnymund had, but there was a restrained doubt from what Jack had described. Surely it had to be Pitch since Jamie couldn’t actually retain a spirit that could meld in and out of the shadows against his will… could he?

There was a lot of quiet contemplation in the silence as the reindeer stamped up to the dock eager to fly once more. Everyone boarded swiftly and within moments the four were bounding down the tunnel, out the other end, and through a snow globe destined for Burgess.

Bunnymund was at the lake’s edge as North circled about to finally find a place to land, the ice had already melted as the season moved towards summer. Jack flew out of the sleigh towards Bunnymund needing to move about while the others waited and exited with North to converge once more as a group at the lake’s edge where Bunnymund had been waiting on them. 

Normally Bunnymund would have made a quip about how his tunnels were a much faster method of travel, but the subject matter at hand kept everyone quite serious as Jack directed them to the little hidden house up the hill from the lake. 

As they all made their way up the rickety staircase, (or rather North and Bunnymund walked up the stairs as the others quickly flew to the top with ease) they gathered at the sliding glass door and realized Jamie hadn’t arrived home in Jack’s absence. The whole trip for Jack going to the Pole and back to Burgess with the others had only taken about forty minutes; Jack was secretly wishing he never arrived now as the confrontation to come made him feel ill.

Bunnymund bristled giving an affirmative nod, “Good, I’d like ta catch that manipulative wisp without Jamie here ta defend him and his sick games!” He slammed his fist into his palm, “We’ll get ta the bottom o’ this right quick!”

Tooth was wringing her hands nervously from the tension surrounding their group and took the initiative to be the first to dart into the house looking around nervously as if she half expected Pitch to jump from the shadows and attack her.

The others followed cautiously looking around the room at the otherwise normal display of photography pictures they had grown accustomed to seeing from Jamie over the years.

Jack motioned with a hand for them to follow him down the hallway as he floated towards Jamie’s room a sick dread to see what he’d left less than an hour prior. Swallowing hard Jack braced himself as he cracked the door open and pointed into the room as he floated backwards, “It’s… it’s in there. You can go take a look; I’m not stepping foot back in there.

North squeezed both of Jack’s shoulders gently, “Is okay; we can go see, you wait here.” North gently moved the boy aside as he moved further down the corridor and into the room stopping a few feet past the entrance and exclaiming, “Chto eto?” Russian for ‘what is this?’ He looked positively stunned as his eyes moved about the room.

Sandy floated behind North and past him as he took in the photos on the wall with neutral eyes until he saw one where Pitch looked strained and contorted painfully as he was held up by the chains that bound him with a look of resignation on his face. This wasn’t a mutually shared interest. Sandy’s hand touched the picture as he looked back with a hurt filled expression.

Tooth floated slowly around in circles taking in what she saw with her hands clasped together and drawn to her chest. She wanted to dart out of the room, but she was held captive by the atrocities splayed out in front of her. “He… he looks sickly… more pale than I remember,” she stated almost absently. It was true, the prolonged exposure to sun had weakened Pitch to the point his flesh took on a pallor of eggshell with the lightest tint of gray as all the shadows were slowly leeched from him.

Bunnymund was the last to enter, his angry mien melting away as he took in what he saw shaking his head, “This… this… Jamie couldn’t have! There’s gotta be an explanation? Pitch… he has to have done this right? North?” His voice was shaky; he didn’t want to believe what he was seeing. To know that the boy they had so nurtured over the years could become capable of these kinds of actions even to someone as vile as Pitch, this was inexcusable. This had to be mutually consenting he told himself desperately, but being the guardian of hope, he could see clearly in many of the pictures displayed that Pitch showed just the opposite, he showed a loss of hope and even overwhelming despair.

North stroked his beard looking at the manacles carefully and seeing the magical sigils etched into them, they were created to contain, and being a progenitor in the field of magic, he recognized the spell for what it was quickly enough as he stated gravely in reply to Bunnymund, “These chains, they are meant to bind a spirit and spirit cannot escape unless one who has bound them releases them. Pitch did not do this, Jamie did.”

The sound of the front door opened just then, and all the guardians’ heads swiveled in unison to Jamie’s arrival.


	10. Removed

Chapter Ten

Removed

Pitch heard the familiar creak of the floorboards he’d become very accustomed to over the past couple years except the balance was all wrong. By this point, Pitch had finely attuned his ear to all of the nuances Jamie made, the shifting of the man’s weight, his gait, all of these things, Pitch knew well.

When Jack had first arrived, he had floated about for the most part except in Jamie’s room, so although Pitch had thought he’d heard something when the frost spirit was in Jamie’s room, he’d written it off as just some exterior noises from the wildlife or the air conditioner kicking on. It wasn’t until he could hear the voices of the guardians out in the hall did panic start to overtake Pitch.

Upon hearing them, he jolted up suddenly and his restraints resisted his movement with a painful arch of pain burning through his arms. He knew well the length of his chains, but the intrusion of the guardians had him all out of sorts as his mind jumped from a myriad of emotions of anger, confusion, even a twinge of hope, but the predominant one he felt was fear. He was afraid of what they would do to Jamie, do to him; he’d been with Jamie so long that this had become his life. It was familiar, comfortable, and he wasn’t alone anymore.

Pitch could hear Jamie enter their domicile and shut the door. His footsteps came to a stutter stop in the hallway as he railed in an outraged manner, “What the…?! What are you doing here in my house?”

Jack had turned at the sound of the door opening frozen in place not out of fear but out of the disbelief that was still coursing through him over his recent finding. He frowned as he glared at Jamie, “Where is he Jamie? We saw your bedroom… what you’ve been doing to him.”

North moved into the hall behind Jack now a look of utter disappointment on his face, “You must release Pitch, Jamie. This… this is not right. You must know this.”

Jamie gaped looking from North to Jack and then seeing the other guardians filter out of his room, he shook his head, “You… you don’t have the right! He’s mine! I’m the one who takes care of him! I’ve been the one keeping everyone safe from what he could potentially do! He belongs here! With me! You can’t have him!”

Sandy drove forward, he was angry now, but North quickly threw a hand out stopping the golden man in his tracks, “Sandy! Wait! Please.” Sandy regarded North as his face softened a bit acquiescing to the Russian’s request.

North turned back to Jamie now, “Why? Why would you do this?” North just wanted to understand more than anything.

“You need to leave! Now!” Jamie was breathing heavily confronted by an overwhelming sense of guilt for the many years he’d continued to justify what he’d done and to see now so plainly what he’d known all along in their faces. He was wrong. As much as he wanted to deny it, all of them stood there in front of him now with grim determined looks surmounting that Pitch was slipping through his fingers already. They were going to take him away from him!

Bunnymund stepped forward squinting his eyes in loathing at Jamie now, “We’re not going anywhere until ya tell us everything we want ta know ya little monster.”

Jamie blinked staggered by Bunnymund’s words. Never would he have ever imagined the guardians looking at him in such a way, addressing him with such disgust and scorn. His mouth worked, “You don’t understand! I… I had to do it! He… I tried to tell you Jack!” He looked feverishly back at Jack now who only gave him a puzzled expression of incomprehension. Jamie continued, “Don’t you remember? I told you that Pitch was back! He’d been trying to drive my parents apart by giving them bad dreams! You didn’t believe me! None of you did!”

Recognition dawned across Jack’s face as he dully recalled back when Jamie was nine where he’d mentioned some such worries. They had looked around for any traces, and after not finding any, Jack had just thought it to be an overactive imagination and had dismissed the notion. Jamie obviously had not, and Jack had failed him he realized. He also realized that Jamie had managed to capture Pitch on his own then over a decade ago… all of a sudden he sank in the air feeling a tightness in his chest, he was just as much to blame as Jamie. If he’d listened to the boy so long ago, would that have changed who he’d become now? Tears brimmed his eyes as the magnitude of his own actions hit him in the chest like a jackhammer. His eyes moved back to Jamie as he croaked, “I… I don’t know what to say… I… I looked for him… I …I thought you were just imagining the whole thing because you didn’t want to believe your parents were fighting and might get a divorce. I’m …I’m so sorry Jamie… I… I should have been a better friend, but you can’t tell me that in your heart of hearts you think what you’ve done, what you’re doing is okay? Please… please just give him to us. Let this end already.”

While they spoke, Tooth had fluttered backward into Pitch’s bedroom door. It was the only room that they had not investigated. Her eyes widened as she peered down at the doorknob, and out of morbid curiosity, she found herself opening the door to peer inside.

Pitch stared back at her, his eyes were darting back and forth wildly before he froze stock still finding himself unable to speak. He wanted to rage at her, he wanted to cry in shame, he wanted to disappear into the shadows, but all he found himself doing was staring dumbly at her with a stricken look of uncertainty. He saw the pity in her eyes, and something snapped in him as he snarled, “How dare you! How dare you come here! Get out of here! All of you! Just… just leave us be!”

His chest was heaving, and although he wanted to retain his anger, his shoulders shook with an overwhelming sense of anguish as his lip quivered and he felt the tears well in his eyes. He was emotionally torn. To be so close to freedom called out to him, but his mind was muddled with thoughts of Jamie’s want for him and how much he didn’t want to upset him. He wanted Jamie to want him, to continue wanting him.

Tooth stared at him, the guardian of memories having been the bastion of all memories good and bad. She’d seen horrible memories that she wished she could tear away from the children whose teeth she’d collected, but through them, she also saw what prolonged forms of abuse could do to a person. Pitch wasn’t in his right mind, of that much she could clearly tell. She could see the confusion in Pitch’s eyes and the hurt they held; it broke her heart. She took in a deep breath as she moved forward and halted as Pitch reflexively cringed away from her. His eyes now constantly tearing from her to the open door as the guardians and Jamie’s words carried down the hall.

She swallowed hard turning and leaving the room unable to handle this anymore as she zoomed past Jack and all the other guardians straight up to Jamie as she gave him a sharp shove powerful enough to knock him to the ground, “You make me sick! You’ve actually twisted him into believing you actually care about him!”

Jamie stared up at her in desperation, “I do! I’m the only one who cares about him, and he knows it!” He turned bitter then as he snapped, “You want to act like you care? Well, where the hell were you then? You never cared to even look for him! He found me, and now he’s mine! He knows who he belongs to! He knows his place is here with me!” Jamie growled hatefully at her his eyes alight with a fervor of conviction that had her back away.

“I’ve heard enough; Sandy knock him out; we are done here,” North stated with an uncharacteristic tiredness as he removed his hand from Sandy’s chest.

Sandy didn’t have to be told twice as he sped forward so fast that Jamie barely had a chance to look from Tooth over to him before his little fist connected squarely with his jaw, and Jamie was laid out unconscious. It wasn’t the way North had intended the Sandman to knock Jamie out, but Sandy was angry and needed to burn some of it off on the person that made him feel this way.

Once Jamie had been dealt with, the guardians all looked at each other with mixed emotions of dread and indecision. They moved back down the hall towards Pitch’s bedroom.

Pitch looked mortified as he sputtered, “What …what have you done? He’s… he’s going to be so angry!” He was beside himself unable to look at them now as he cast his eyes down and began to rock his anxiety peeked over what had just happened and what would happen next. He muttered, “He needs me… I need him; I can’t… I have to be kept… he’s the only one who wants me…” he continued reciting all the things that Jamie had told him year in and year out. Things he’d come to believe wholeheartedly.

The guardians shared worried looks, and Bunnymund whispered to North, “Uh… mate. Uh, I think he might have snapped. Are ya sure taking him with us is such a good idea?”

North scowled darkly waving Bunnymund off as he walked forward dropping to a knee as he unclasped the first chain from the bed. He wouldn’t be able to remove the chains because of the enchantment, but he could at least remove Pitch from being chained down to this mattress.

Pitch stopped his mutterings instantly as he watched North with wide eyes remove the links from the bed frame. As each link was released, he drew the limb in tightly to his core, and when all of his limbs were freed, he started to sob unable to cope with the level of relief and despair he was feeling all at once.

North frowned yanking the sheet from the bed and covering Pitch before he gently wrapped his arms around the quivering form and pulled him up off the mattress. He motioned with a head nod, “Let’s go. I do not want to be here one more minute,” the Cossack stated gravely.

The guardians moved in a deathly silence out of the house and back to the sleigh where North handed Pitch to a reluctant Bunnymund, so he could drive the sleigh.

Pitch didn’t seem to react at all which was worrisome; he had retreated inward and stared off with half lidded eyes as Bunnymund held him. His ears were folded back, and he was feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt for all the assumptions he’d made previously to their arrival. He’d been so sure of himself, and now he was flummoxed and abashed to have made such assumptions in the first place. How could he have known?

It didn’t matter now of course. North snapped the reigns, and the sleigh lurched forward and into the air. They needed to address what Jamie had done to Pitch; it was obvious that Pitch couldn’t just be released after the torture he’d endured. In the state he was in, he’d likely just return to the abuse he’d been made to suffer out of some irrational belief that this really was where he belonged from the years of mental conditioning Jamie had programmed Pitch to accept and trust. There was also the chains, North had told them that the only one who could remove them was Jamie, so one way or another, they were going to have to take care of the nightmare lord for the foreseeable future.


	11. Culmination

Chapter Eleven

Culmination

The sleigh ride was eerily silent where the only sound was carried by the howl of tundra winds as the reindeer jetted through the prismed light of the snow globe and out the other side. The high rise spires of the Pole’s workshop grew from a distance as the guardians dashed onward towards North’s sanctuary. The occupants of the sleigh were in varying stages of disbelief as they solemnly digested the events they’d just witnessed and took part in.

Bunnymund had Pitch cradled against his chest where Pitch’s legs were draped over one leg, and his back was supported gently against Bunnymund’s inner thigh and into the crook of his arm.

Pitch’s head sagged limply against the furred chest; he noted absently that the rabbit’s heartrate was far more accelerated than he’d ever remembered Jamie’s to be. A fast heartrate typically indicated fear, and Pitch normally enjoyed an erratic thrum such as this since it usually indicated a surge of power for him. But, Pitch was finding it difficult to care about anything at the moment having let himself sink into a daze unable to cope with the facts of his current situation.

Everything that had happened served to terrify Pitch into a state of inaction now. Processing his predicament seemed increasingly hard to wrap his mind around as Pitch was uncertain whether he should be thanking the guardians or fighting them. He’d eternally fought them before; they’d always taken his hard won victories from him through the countless years they’d spent opposing one another, but now… now they were taking him away from Jamie.

Jamie had been many things to Pitch; yes, he’d imprisoned him, physically taken him without willing consent (not that Pitch had put up much of an opposition. Pitch had taken this into consideration too deciding that it was because he must have secretly wanted Jamie in this capacity all along. Of course he had, Jamie was the only one who loved him, who could love him; he had been his sole companion, so why wouldn’t he want Jamie to give him the love that he wished to express in the manner he wished to express it? It was only a body, and it was hardly much to give over if it meant he could feel loved at all.)

Pitch had been alone for so very long, to have someone give him attention the way Jamie had… the Bennet boy had been fascinated with Pitch from the beginning, had shown it in the way he’d watched him, touched him, and cared for him. Jamie could be rough in the heat of the moment, he’d worn Pitch out with his sexual avarice on many occasions leaving the nightmare lord tender and swollen from the level of stamina youth held to keep going for hours on end, but it was only because Jamie wanted Pitch so badly! How could he be upset with the man for becoming so turned on that he wanted to have him over and over again? Shouldn’t it be a compliment to know that Jamie had favored him so?

But then, there was always that longing to be free. It was not unlike many other times in his life where he’d been sealed away Pitch had rationalized. At least in this way, being Jamie’s possession, Pitch was not alone, and better still, he was wanted. He’d spent countless years facing the darkness isolated and without anyone thinking about him in any capacity, and that knowledge was just as scary if not more so than to belong to Jamie as a personal toy. The guardians had not thought about him; the fact that they had snatched him from Jamie at all might as well have been for their own self-righteous purposes over any sort of care for him.

The tunnel shifted Pitch’s focus to the present as his head jerked to take in the sudden envelopment of shadow. A soft gasp escaped his lips as a tremble coursed through him. How long had it been? Years. It had been a decade in fact since he’d felt the embrace of true darkness folding around him. Jamie had always made sure that he’d had a light shining on Pitch at all times. That first year alone, with the pulsing heat of an ever brightening source of luminosity, was enough to almost drive Pitch mad. As with most things though, he’d become accustomed to it.

After several years, he’d almost forgotten what it had felt like to be one with that side of his nature as the remains of his shadow-made clothing had grown brittle and eventually flaked away due to the constant submersion in the light and the lack of energy never regained. It had affected more than his ability to cloth himself of course, and Pitch was filled with a surge of energy and an awakening of another part of him that he hadn’t realized had made him feel whole on some level. It was a penetrating rush and a combination of so many of these feelings then hit him hard and all at once. Overwhelmed by the levity of it, Pitch began to sob anew. His cries started as a soft mewling shutter, but within moments, Pitch felt like his chest would cave in from the intensity of his sorrow as he fully wept realizing then that he’d become a stranger to even himself.

Alarmed Bunnymund’s eyes had quickly alerted to the sudden outburst, and he stiffened visibly as he pulled Pitch away from his chest, “Wha? What? What’s going on?! I… I didn’t do anything!” His head swiveled about his expression stating how out of depth he felt to have Pitch bawling in his arms like this.

North glanced over his shoulder in surprise grimacing before calling out, “Sandy, please…”

Sandy was quick to hover over Pitch and hit him with dose of dreamsand; a little too much it would seem as the dust cloud silenced Pitch with a hitched intake of breath, and the remnants curled up to hit Bunnymund full in the face.

The rabbit slumped backward in the sleigh going limp; Bunnymund’s arms also slackened, and Pitch tumbled from his grasp.

Having been aware of what was going on, Tooth was quick to dart down to catch Pitch before his body could hit the floor. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected when she’d grabbed him, but she was surprised that he felt almost insubstantial as if he could easily blow away with a stiff breeze. “He’s… he’s lighter than I imagined,” she stated almost as if she were speaking to herself as she looked down at Pitch’s now flaccid features.

The Cossack responded dourly as he yanked back on the reindeer’s reins to land in the Pole’s terminal with a jolting suddenness, “Is depleted; is a wonder he is still in existence at all.” He shook his head letting out a deflated sigh, “He was right under our noses this whole time, and we never knew… we never even suspected.” His words were filled with a level of regret and bewilderment.

Jack gave the snoring rabbit a yank to his foot with his staff that sent Bunnymund careening to the floor to awaken with a start. He looked about in surprise before realizing the sleigh had landed and everyone was disembarking. He frowned recalling now the events leading up to his sudden cat nap as he shifted a glare over at Sandy, but his expression softened as his sights took in Tooth holding Pitch’s unconscious form.

Bunnymund was secretly glad that he was no longer burdened with that responsibility even though he felt slightly guilty for feeling as much. It was a lot to take in for all of them, and the ride back to the Pole had been enough for the Pookan to realize how dire a situation they were now faced with and how awkward it was for both sides having been enemies for so long. Were they still not enemies? Hours ago he’d thought nothing more than about how satisfying it would have been to hurt Pitch for all the countless ills the shade had caused them, but now to look at Pitch and how utterly pathetic and fragile he looked seared his gut with shame for him.

North turned towards Tooth and gently took Pitch in his arms taking the nightmare lord in with a mournful expression as he gave a small assessing nod, “Is good that he can rest now, he will need it. I do not think is good for him to be alone. The state we find him… eh, I fear worst. He is in bad way, and we must be careful not to upset him further.”

Jack approached cautiously to look over North’s shoulder, “But… we rescued him, why would he be upset?”

Tooth laid a gentle hand on Jack’s shoulder as she tried to explain, “Sometimes a person can go through so much trauma that they don’t recognize what’s good or bad for them anymore. The way Pitch has been reacting to us… to the situation… he might still be a little confused.”

Jack seemed just as confused by this logic, but he nodded solemnly trusting the guardian of memories’ wisdom, “Uh… okay. Do… what should I do?”

There was a long pause as the guardians all looked back and forth at one another. None of them really had much of a clue what to do in a situation like this, but North was the first to find his voice as he spoke tiredly, “I must do much reading; see if I can find spell to break chains. Let us bring him to guest room and lay him down. We will take shifts watching him, two of us… in case Pitch… reacts poorly. You, Jack, can be part of first watch… Tooth?” North raised a brow to look over at the Tooth fairy not wanting to volunteer her, but out of all the guardians, he knew she was more likely to best handle the state of affairs when Pitch roused alongside Jack where Bunnymund would need Sandy’s support similarly without the language barrier getting as much in the way. It was a delicate condition, and the last thing North wanted to do was make things worse for Pitch than he was already experiencing.

Tooth nodded quickly enough more than willing to assist, “Yes, that’s fine. My fairies can handle things at the Tooth Palace in my absence.”

Bunnymund cleared his throat and announced in a bit of a stammer, “Uh, I can come back in about eight hours ta relieve you two with Sandy if that sounds good to you?”

Sandy shook his head vigorously obviously also very much wanting to help in the efforts.

North seemed reassured that all of his friends seemed on board with his plan as he turned away with Pitch to head towards the elevators with Tooth and Jack hovering in his wake.

Sandy and Bunnymund shared a worried look without saying a word both felt each other’s sense of foreboding. This was going to be a bumpy road to traverse that would change them all by the time the journey concluded.


	12. Shadows

Chapter Twelve

Shadows

Slipping back into the waking world seemed far more jarring than sliding from it. Pitch gasped sitting bolt upright eyes widening as he took in the array of brightly colored walls and Christmassy themed baubles. It took a moment to register where he was, and the fear that gripped him upon awakening only seemed to coil in on his innards as he felt a new kind of dread enveloping him and becoming a stirring emptiness.

Seeing Pitch’s panicked wild eyes traverse the room his chest heaving and gripping the multicolored patterned quilt in his rigid fingers, Tooth timidly fluttered over to carefully and slowly land at the foot of the bed in an attempt not to startle Pitch further. Pitch’s eclipsed eyes honed in on her movements within a wingbeat of her gliding towards him his head snapping to lock eyes on her with a feral stare that radiated his inner disquiet of the situation he found himself in.

Tooth swallowed hard edging a little closer to Pitch; her long lashes blinked momentarily blotting out the bright cerise irises that, like her natural iridescent feathers, twinkled and reflected her radiance against the soft illumination of the nightstand’s lamp. She spoke in hushed tones as if speaking to a frightened child, “It’s alright, Pitch. You’re safe now; no one is going to hurt you anymore.”

Jack remained stalk still in the shadowed corner of the room just watching with both morbid curiosity and trepidation. Jack’s lack of speech was uncharacteristic as he let himself become absorbed in the abnormality of what he was witnessing; the ambiance of the room now held him in a sort of hypnotized trance. This scene was not unlike seeing something unique for the first time (which was a novelty the longer a spirit roamed the Earth) but without the thrill of fun that such enlightenment brought. Instead, Jack’s nerves jittered with a wave of electric current pulsing through him leaving him ready to ignite and spring into action even though mentally that energy had no concept of its intended destination other than just a need to be available for use to avoid danger.

Pitch’s gaze flicked from Toothiana to Jack and back to her once more considering her words but finding himself unable to respond as a tremor worked its way through his body. Jamie… Pitch’s mouth opened to speak, but his words were temporarily robbed from him in a halting manner that ceased his mind like a rusty hinge while he processed the possibilities. “What …what did you do to him?” Pitch’s voice was accusatory, mixed with a twang of sickening dread as his throat bobbed past the tightening squeeze in his throat and the constricting in his chest. It was difficult to breathe through the emotions tearing through him as they fought to pull him in several different directions at once.

She watched Pitch visibly cringe back into the mound of pillows on the luxury bed retreating inwardly to stare off to some indistinct place in the middle of the room that held no actual focus. Pitch’s already pale features drained further to heighten the sharp contours of his face displaying a stricken haunted expression.

Tooth didn’t answer as she took in his countenance; she was reticent of what the truth might unleash in the obviously very unstable spirit. Long minutes of silence passed between them, and every second that ticked by left the air to feel heavier.

Pitch didn’t look at her again only staring off lost into an unknown depth that only he was privy to until Tooth could bear the uncomfortable silence no longer blurting out quickly, “We left him there on the floor… Sandy may have given him a little more than dreamsand to knock him out, but he wasn’t hurt too badly.” Tooth wasn’t sure what Pitch was looking for, but his tone suggested concern, so she erred on the side of caution in her response as she gauged the Nightmare Lord carefully.

It wasn’t just concern that Pitch felt as Tooth’s response filtered through to settle within him, and a spreading chill of fear rose the hackles on the back of his neck. Pitch replied ominously as his eyes finally roused to shift a desperate plea at Toothiana portraying an unwavering conviction, “I belong to him now, and eventually… he’s going to find me! He won’t stop looking for me until he does! You have to bring me back! …he’s never going to forgive me!”

Tooth’s brow furrowed as she rested a hand gently on Pitch’s knee. He immediately stiffened exuding a shiver from the touch; Tooth paused a moment considering the reaction before removing her hand and placing it in her lap. Her eyes regarded Pitch with a pitying stare, “Pitch…” she paused caught in the scope of intensity his eyes now affixed her with; she could tell Pitch was hanging on her every word, “Jamie can’t find you here, and you aren’t his property. What he did…”

As Tooth spoke Pitch shook his head in denial interrupting her, “No… no, you don’t understand! I need him!” Pitch’s eyes were wide as he suddenly stilled grief marring his face, “Don’t you see, he’s… he’s the only one who…” his voice tapered off his expression reflecting anguish before he could say the words, ‘wants me,’ in place of his words, Pitch’s eyes welled with fresh tears that spilled in silent streaks down the sides of his face.

Tooth frowned wanting to reach out and hug Pitch, but their strained relationship left her feeling at odds as to whether such a gesture would be welcome. Instead, she continued lightly the resonance in her voice carrying the sympathy she felt, “It was wrong, Pitch. What Jamie did to you… no one deserves to be treated like that.”

Pitch’s face slackened becoming expressionless as if made of clay, but his tone held an icy aloofness, “And you would know best how one is to be treated… sealing someone away in a dark hole perhaps is a better alternative?” It wasn’t a question but a denunciation. They were enemies for hundreds of years, and in his vulnerability, Pitch felt the need to lash out. What did she know? All of the Guardians butting their noses in where they didn’t belong! Sure, he and Jamie had a complicated relationship, but Jamie was also the only one who cared about him. As bad as being imprisoned and objectified as he was had been, Pitch knew that he was at least desired and coveted as something special. The thought of being free but also being all alone was crushing and terrifying.

Toothiana’s crest flared slightly at the allegation, and she straightened her posture in both wariness at the mercurial nature Pitch exuded and a building uncomfortable sense of guilt from knowing the Guardians were partially to blame for Pitch’s long-term suffered abuse at Jamie’s hands. Pitch had been with Jamie for years, the multitude of photographs on Jamie’s walls were enough to indicate as much. Pitch’s absence hadn’t even been considered a problem; after all, this hadn’t been the first time they had battled and defeated Pitch with some form of banishment. None of them had given Pitch a second thought as righteous indignation fueled their cause to beat back his eternal efforts to spread fear and darkness. He had to be stopped and the children kept safe until Pitch found his way back to the surface to skulk about in the shadows and give them trouble once more.

That had been the way of things, but Pitch’s statement now acted as a rude awakening that locking Pitch away until he came back to harass them again may have been a poor choice of ways to deal with him. “Alright; I suppose you have a point, Pitch. We’ve had a sorted past with very little resolution. We’ve all made bad decisions, but I think what’s important now is concentrating on working towards a better future. Do you really think subjecting yourself to being handled the way you were by Jamie is in your best interest or his?”

Pitch’s resolve seemed to falter having not expected any form of give on her part, and the point she made was valid even if he didn’t want to recognize it as so. He couldn’t speak out against Jamie, the mere thought of it made Pitch feel sick with an overwhelming sense of loss. His head bowed eyes dropping to drag across the ripples in the blanket to avoid further eye contact as he resignedly sighed, “I… I don’t really know anymore.” More tears rolled down the sides of Pitch’s face as a deep seeded despair sank down into his core as he choked out in a sob, “I just don’t want to be all alone again.” Pitch didn’t know why he was being so candid with her, perhaps it was because he needed an outlet to sort through the roller coaster of emotions roiling through him, but mostly it was because he was too emotionally tired, hurt, and confused to control himself.

Toothiana surprised both herself and Pitch as she fluttered off the bed and over to sidle next to him giving him a fierce hug around his narrowed shoulders as his distress made her unable not to reach out to comfort him. She wasn’t sure what she expected Pitch to do, but she was willing to take a chance.

The feeling of her arms around him had Pitch jerk his head up as his body went rigid on contact. As the consolation Tooth offered settled through him, the gesture sent a wave of warmth and assurance to his core, and Pitch finally yielded to her touch letting himself relax in her hold. He found himself leaning into her as her soothing words echoed in his ear, “You won’t be alone, Pitch. Things are going to be different this time around.”

It was a pretty statement, and even though Pitch had a niggling doubt that anything could be so simple, he was inclined to believe just this once that it could be for now.


End file.
